Hoist or off-bearer



Patented Dec. 26, 1950 ICE ' HOIST OB OFFEBEARER Walter G. Schutt, Adrian, Mich., assignor to Stearns Manufacturing Company, Adrian, Mich., a corporation of Michigan 1 Application August 26, 1948; Serial No. 46,332

This invention relates to hoists or off-bearers" for concrete block machines or similar uses. The object of the invention is to provide a simple hoist that can be used in connection with a concrete block machine or for similar work.- The'hoist can be used-to elevate the platform that carries the product without requiring the operator to lift his arms as is necessary with customary hoists. In hoists heretofore used in connection with concrete block machines, a fluid-operated cylinder and piston have been suspendedfrom a trolley running on a track and there has been suspended from the movable member (cyclinder or piston) a yoke-like member whose lower arm or arms forms a pick-up platform for the work. Secured to the lower end of the yoke are the controls that control the fluids that operate the hoist. The workman guides the off-bearer or yo'"e by means of grippers by which he can manuever the pick up p atform and at the same time control the fluid. This has been tiresome because the operator has had to raise and lower his arms with the platform and at the same time control the movement of the platform and the fluid valves with his arms and hands in an elevated and unnatural position. The blocks are delivered from a concrete block machine very rapidly and the operator has to work fast and continuously, hence he is subject to considerable fatigue and strain by reason of his arms being brought into unnatural position in taking the work off the machine platform and laying it up in the drying racks.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is an elevation showing my improved off-bearer being used in connection with a concrete block machine and a drying rack.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the trolley and its swingable track.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the hoist taken on the section line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view of the portion of the hoist adjacent the pick up arms,

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-4 of Figure 6.

I is a concrete block machine in which the blocks are molded by apparatus that need not be herein detailed, illustrated, o-r explained. Suflice it to say that the aggregate is introduced into molds, vibrated, packed, and the blocks 3 are pushed out on the machine platform on arms 5 Claims; (Cl. 212-32) iii) .4. This'is the usual mode of operation in making and molding concrete or cinder blocks in a machine. It is necessary to lift the blocks ofi the arms 4 and to place them in' a rack 5 which has open shelves 6. The concrete blocks are pushed out of the machine on pallets l which can be lifted ofithe arms 4 by the pick up arms 8 of the hoist. This is clearly shown in Figure 1.

The workman then has to swing the hoist and the arms around and deposit the pallets on the open shelves 6 of the drying rack 5. This he can do by reason of the suspension of the offbearers on the trolley 9. This trolley has wheels II] which run on the tracks I l of the T beam H which is supported in cantilever fashion by the truss I3 attached to the knuckle I 4 of the hinge bracket I5 that is attached to the concrete machine or to the wall of the workroom. The hoist is suspended from the trolley by a swivel it which supports the ropes I! that support the suspension bars I 8 of the hoist. These suspension bars 8 are provided at each end with spacers 19 provided each in the mid-portion with a groove 20 into which the cable "is looped as shown in Figure 5. l

The two suspension bars i 8 support the vertical I beam track 2| which is shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7. Running on this track are a pair of rolls 22 secured by brackets 23 to the air cylinder 24 (or it may be hydraulic) which moves up and down on piston 25 which is suspended from the suspension bars by means of the sus pension rod 26 that is hung from plate 21 that is attached to the suspension bars. The cylinder has a packing gland 28 on the piston rod and at the bottom of the cylinder is a cross bar 29 which supports the pick up arms 8. These arms may be provided with an electro-magnetic winding 30, if this is desired so that the arms can be magnetized by a suitable electrical control for lifting the empty pallets off the track by simply lowering the lifting arms on top of an empty pallet in the'rack and then returning the pallet and dropping it on a conveyor (not shown) as described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 18,798, filed April 3, 1948. However, the electro-magnetic feature is not claimed in the present application and is not an essential part of this hoist or off-bearer.

Attached to the vertical tracks 2| near the bottom is a cross bar 3| which has legs 32 and 33 at the ends. These legs each carry a valve 34 which can be opened and closed by the operation of the pinch lever 35 pivoted to the handle 36 attached to the cross bar 3|. These valves ar iin alon the beam 011113116 track, a' verticaltrack 3 the air lines 31 and 38 which lead to the top and bottom of the air cylinder.

It will be seen that the operator may grip the handles 36 as he is shown doing in Figure 1, and by turning the vertical track 2| on the swivel l2 and by the aid of the carriage 9 and the swinging track beam I I, he may carry the work around to any position in theia'rea of'the coverage of the swinging T-beam. He may elevate or lower the pickup arms by means of pinching on the levers 35 which operate the air valves to turn the air in one end of the cylinder and release it from-the other end of the cylinder to raise'or'lower the work carrying arms without any wayzfraisin'g or lowering the operator's arms. Thisis-amuch easier and more comfortable way of controlling an off-bearer than in the apparatusxheretofore available.

What I claim is:

l. A hoist or off-bearer for use for concrete block forming machines or "for other elevatin'g v.and conveying operations having incombination a'beam forming a track swinging in substantially a horizontal plane, a trolley adapted to'betmoved hung from said trolley by'ia.swivel,control-han- -"dles andfluid controlvalvessecuredto said'-vertical track, a piston andvfiuid operatedrcylinder, one of. them held againstvertical movement and the other movable along saidvertical track, one or more liftingarmssecured' tothe movabl'e memher and extending -.laterally.- to vsupport.'-tl:1e-.work

towbe handled, and flexible-hose connectinguth'e .=cyl-inder with the handcontrolled ,-fluid fvalves, whereby by maneuvering thehandlesandoperat- -ing the valves :one can maneuver the liftingarm's and apply fluid pressure in the cylindertoelevate or lower. thesaid arms.

2. :A hoist or ofiebearer -for use with concrete block machines or otherpurposeshaving in com- .--bination, :aswingable support: including ia-track,

1 a trolleyrmovable on said track, a vertical track ehungfrom" said trolley. 'a piston andcylinder. hung from said trolley, one of "said elements; movable with respect to the other by motive fiuidpthe :movable elementguided on-saidvertical track, .one or more horizontal arms projectingfrom said movable element for lifting orlowering the'load when the motive fluid is turned into vthe cylinder,

- hand operated control means for the: motivefiuid v secured'to the lower "end ofzsaid verticalitrack,

and conduits for: the motive fiuid connectingwthe .said controlmeans withethe cylinder.

-S..=A hoist .or cit-bearer for use With concrete 'block machines or other purposes; havingin combination, a swingable support including a track, a trolley movable on said track, a vertical track hung from said trolley, a piston and cylinder hung from said trolley, one of said elements movable with respect to the other by motive fluid, the movable element guided on said vertical track, one or more horizontal arms projecting from said "movabl'e elementior lifting or lowering the load "-when themotive fiuidisturne'd into thecylinder, hand operated control means for the motive fluid secured to the lower end of said vertical track, said control means comprising two handles, hand levers and valves operated by the levers to controhthelfiowlofthe fluid to and from the two nds :orthe cylinder, Land conduits for the motive fluid connecting'the said control means with the cyl- :inder.

"4. Ahoist or' o'fi bearer for use with concrete block machines or other purposes, having in combination, a swingable support including a track, '--a trolleyimovable* on" said track; a 'verticalItrack hung :from .said etrolley upon a 1 swivel,a tpiston andicylinder. hun from said trolley by ai'sw-ivel, .tone of said elements movable with respect toiithe iothe'rrbylmotive fluidjthe. movable elementguid'd on said-vertical track, one ormore :horizontal "aarmst projecting from said :imovable:"e1ement .--for litting or'lowering the load whenthe motive fluid is"? turned into the cylinder, hand. operated :con-

trol-meansior the motive fluid securedJto the clower r'end of said vertical track,: and conduitsplior :.the :motive .iluid connecting the said -c'ontr'ol means with the cylinder.

5. A'hoist or ofi-bearer ior a concrete block machine orother purposes, having/in; combination a swinging beam of inverted 'T cross-section, ai trolley movable on theinvertedT, suspension :b3,1S, cablesfor. suspending the bars' from s'aid :trolley, a swivel between thecables and thesuspension barspa verticalttrack suspended from=said barseae-piston suspended from said bars by aLpisiton rod, a cylinder' movable on said ipiston by efluidlpressure t and :havin means; for engaging ssaid i vertical .track to :guide the travel of iisa'id 45. cylinder, flexible fluid-lines :leading toxand from :said-cylindenia barisecured to the. lower: endiof said ve'rtical track, :valve oin said fiuid lines 'imounte'd upon said bar, handles secured =to said wba'r, wvalve "controlling levers mounted at isaid 50 handles, *and liftingarms projecting from lthe --lcmver erid of said cylinder.

WALTER SCHUTZI.

Nareierencescited. 

